Numbering-machine.



U. L. JOHNSTON.

NUMBERING MACHINE.

APPLICATION FILED NOV. 28, 1910.

Patented July 8, 1913.

4 SHEETS-SHEET l.

Patented July 8, 1913.

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NUMBERING MACHINE.

APPLICATION FILED novpzs, 1910 1,067,222. Patented July 8, 1913.

4 SHEETS-SHEET 3.

WITNESSES: INVENTOR COLUMBIA PLANOGRAPH co.,\v/\SH|NOTON. u. c.

U. L. JOHNSTON.

NUMBERING MACHINE.

A'PPLIGATION'IIILED .NOV. 28, 1910.

Patented July 8, 1913.

4 SHEETS-SHEET 4.

UNTTET) @TATEfi'PATNT @FFTQE.

CLARENCE L. JOHNSTON, OF EMERYVILLE, CALIFORNIA.

NUMBERING-MACHINE Application filed November 28, 1910.

To all whom it may concern:

Be it known that I, CLARENCE L. JOHN- STON, citizen of the UnitedStates, residing at Emeryville, in the county of Alameda and State ofCalifornia, have invented new and useful Improvements inNu1nbering-lrlachines, of which the following is a specification.

This invention relates to printing apparatus and pertains especially tonumbering machines designed for use in consecutively numbering theleaves or sections of manifold salesbooks, street car transfers, etc.

It is the object of this invention to provide a machine whereby atraveling strip of material may have printed upon it a plurality ofsimilar characters; and which characters such as numbers, will berepeated suc cessively a desired number of times and then automaticallychanged in ascending or descending order consecutively.

It is also an object of this invention toprovide an apparatus soadjustable that a web of paper may be printed upon at various regulardistances.

In the manufacture of manifold books such as sales checkbooks, which aremade in enormous quantities and each leaf of which is numbered, it isdesirable to print and number a plurality of leaves adjoining each otheron a web run through a suitable press in which the customary form oflegend is printed.

To facilitate the manufacture of the books I print at several equaldistances along the web the same identical character, and then cut offthe web so as to have a sheet on which is printed the several similarcharacters, which sheet I then cut up into equal sections each formingone leaf of a sales or transfer book or pad.

It is to accomplish the desired manifold copy, on a continuous web, ofnumbered leaves that the present invention is devised and which consistsof the parts and con struction and combination of parts as hereinaftermore fully described and claimed having reference to the accompanyingdrawings, in which- Figure 1 is a side elevation of the machine asmounted on a printing press frame. Fig. 2 is a partial sectional view ofthe end of the machine. Fig. 3 is an enlarged section across the axis ofthe press. Fig. 4. is a detail of the eccentric adjustment of theSpecification of Letters Patent.

Patented July 8, 1.913. Serial No. 594,455.

impression cylinders. Fig. 5 is a plan view of a web showing thedivision of the leaves and the method of imprint. Fig. (3 shows a stackof leaves printed by the machine and before being cut up into separatepads or books. Fig. 7 is a detail of a type bar and its type face.

In the art to which this invention has been particularly applied, acontinuous web of paper, A, of suitable width is run through a printingpress B of which only the frame and a gear C is here shown. In thispress the forms imprint on the web the desired data and lines customaryin sales books, or street car transfers, etc., the leaves a of which maybe of any suitable width.

In the present instance the leaves a are printed transversely of thestrip and adjoin each other edgewise. If the leaves are narrow, say fourinches wide, the web will be out every twenty-four inches into sheetsZ), which pile up on one another until there is, say, fifty in a pile,then these are stitched or wired through at one longitudinal edge, andfinally transversely cut into six equal pads or books of fifty leaveseach. Frequently books are made six, eight or twelve inches wide,consequently the twenty-four inch sheet Z) would be divided into four,three or two sections.

M T invention embodies a mechanism whereby each leaf-section a, of theprinted web A, after it passes through the main press will, while stilltraveling, be so numbered that there will be as many sections numberedin duplicate as there are to be leaves a cut from each sheet, 6. Thiswill result in forming several complete numbered copies of manifoldbooks from each stack of sheets. The manufacture of these books isfurther facilitated by my machine, in so printing the page numbers onthe traveling web A that the pages ct of the first or bottom sheet of astack is numbered fifty the next superposed sheet is numbered forty-nine(49) and so on descending in regular order until the top sheet isnumbered one (1). The obvious purpose of this being to automaticallyprint the number in such order that a stack will be ready to stitch andcut as soon as fifty sheets are stacked.

This invention pertains especially to the numbering machine used in themanufacture of the books and is here shown as comprising a gear wheel 2loosely mounted on a transverse counter shaft 3 journaled in side frameplates 45.

The counter shaft 3 and the gear 2 travel at different speeds as will beexplained later,

the web while the moving type bar 7 with its type is pressed against it.After being printed at one point while on the first cylinder 8, the webpasses outwardly over the first of a series of adjustable, distance or}length-compensating rollers 10 from which? it returns and passes under asecond impression cylinder 8. During the time of the{ travel of the webfrom its first printing at; the initial cylinder 8 outwardly over and on1 the first distance roller 10 that particulari type bar 7 which printeda number on the web at the first cylinder will have advanced to thesecond cylinder 8 and will then print the same character on the web A asecond time, but really ahead of the previous impression. Now if theleaves a are four inches in width, then the distance from the j firstcylinder 8 out to the top of distancei roller 10 will be adjusted toequal the same, 1

and the counting wheel 6 will advance in turn to print the secondduplicate number four (4) inches ahead of the first impression, and soon, the wheel 6 will advance regularly and precede the web makingsuccessive duplicate impression under each of the six (6) impressioncylinders, so that when the last impression is made it will be justtwenty-four (24) inches ahead of the first.

The speed of travel of the web is exactly the same as that of thenumbering ring 6 which is secured to the gear 2 and this is driven by atrain of gears 11, 12 and 13 connecting the master gear C on the press.The gear 11 is secured on a shaft 14 which is caused to revolve, bygears 12 and C, at a speed of two to one of the gear C. The ratioexisting between the gear 2 and the gear 11 is 100 to 46 so that thegear 2 does not make a whole revolution by eight "(8) teeth while thegear 11 is making two revolutions.

The type bars 7 are slidable in their carrier ring 6 and are normallydepressed from engagement with the web A by springs 15 surrounding theirstems, and in order to project the type bars 7 at the proper time andportion of the rotation of the wheel 2 so as to engage and print the webI have provided a double cam-arm 16 having laterally off-set cams 17 and18 on its periphery each adapted to engage alternate of the type bars 7of the numbering ring, as later described. This cam-arm 16 is securedupon the shaft 3 and this shaft is driven at a speed of one to two ofthe driving shaft 14, consequently the cam-arm 16 is making one completerevolution while the wheel 6 is still eight (8) teeth short of arevolution; the cam shaft 3 being provided with a fixed gear 19 meshingwith an intermediate gear 20 which is driven from the driving shaft 14by means of a pinion 21, bearing aratio of 1 to 2 of the gear 19.

One of the cams as 17 is designated to engage only the even numberedtype bars 7, (Fig. 3), and the opposite ofii'set cam 18 engages only theodd numbered type bars, and the relative length of these cams is justsufficient to engage and project its respective type bars and for only agiven portion of the rotation of the members 6 and 16.

As hereinbefore stated, there is a differential speed between thenumbering rings 6 and the cam-arm 16, and this difference is such thatthe cam 17 will pick up and project a given type bar 7, as No. 50, Fig.3, when this type bar is in printing position opposite the firstcylinder 8; and as the ring 6 and the cam-arm 16 turn in the samedirection past the cylinders 8, the cam 17 continues to support theprojected No. 50 type bar, though the speed of the cam 17 is slightlyfaster than that of the type bar, each type bar printing against eachcylinder '8 in succession before being released by its cam. It is forthe reason of this difi'erential speed that the cams 17 and 18 are givena certain length, so :as to support an engaged type bar 7 until it haspassed beyond the last cylinder 8. There are shown in this numberingring fifty (50) independent numbering type bars 7 arranged in aparticular and peculiar order which is best defined by stating that asthere are one hundred (100) teeth in the gear 2 and fifty (50) type bars7, there are two (2) teeth for each type bar.

When one of the cams as 17, has made a complete revolution it actuallygains eight (8) teeth on the gear 2 and type ring 6, or what is thesame, it gains four (4) type bars, which will bring it to position underthe die No. 48 when that type bar (No. 48) has been carried fromposition shown in Fig. 3 to a position under the first cylinder 8occupied by the die No. 50. Now since there are two 2) cams, the oddnumber cam 18 will gain two (2) type spaces in one-half a revolution ofthe cam-arm 16 and pick up the type bar No. 49 when that member is inprinting position opposite the first cylinder 8, and after the evennumber cam 17 has printed 50 six times on the web A. It will be noticedthat the type bar No. 49 is not diametrically opposite the type bar No.50 but is two (2) type bar pitches below that point, these pitches beingthe equivalent of four teeth of gear 2.

From the foregoing description it will be clear then that in onerevolution of the cam 17 it will have gained on the gear 2 and ring 6 soas to coincide with the type oar N0. -18 on the ring when that type barNo. 48 is adjacent the first cylinder 8. liieanwhile, during thecontemporaneous travel of the cam 17 and. type bar No. 50 and the web Asix successive duplicate impressions are made at equidistant points onone side of the web. The arrangement of the type bar 7, is thendetermined by the difiierential movement of the type bar ring 6 and thecamarm 16, and further by the mi'lltiplicity of cams 1.7 and 18.

Each cam 17-1S is designed to successively pick up type bars, 7, havingtheir inner ends arranged in the path oi? respec tive cams. The cams areso positioned on the ends of the arms 16, that they travel in differentbut close parallel orbits, due to the fact that they are laterallyoii'set, so thatone, as 17, will successively engage the stems of theeven numbered type and the other cam 78 will successively engage the oddnumbered type. The stems of the even numbered type are arranged to oneside of the type wheel 6 (see Fig. 2) and the stems of the other typeare arranged toward the other side of the wheel so that the ottset cams1718 will only engage and project those types whose stems are in theirpath.

While the type are traveling from the last cylinder 8 toward the first,they will be projected successively by their respective cams 17-18, butthis is of no consequence, since they will only print when adjacent acylinder. For instance, the cam 18 is shown as leaving type bar 49, andapproaching type bar 25. Now as the cam 18 is moving faster than ring 6,it will project .25 during its travel below the shaft 3 and will drop itin time to project the next successive bar 7, in its path, which will be40, when this arrives at the first. cylinder 8. By arranging the typebar stems in staggered peripheral relation, as shown, they will beactuated only by their respective cams 17 or 18.

As the printing proceeds, for the reasons stated, in regular descendingorder, after the type bar No. 50 has performed its function, then thenext type bar to be actuated will be No. 41:9, this being accomplishedby the cam face 18; next, the cam face 17 will project the type bar No.48, and this regular descending selection and projection of the typebars will continue until the entire titty have been impressed upon theweb thus forming, each duplieately numbered section. passes from thepress and is secured, a pile of titty sheets with the topmostbeingnumbered 1.

When it is desired to print any number of sections of greater width thanfour (4.) inches, then it is only necessary to turn the eccentricbearings 9 sutliciently to carry the cylinlilers 8 away from theprojected face of the several type bars 7 leaving only such cylinder inprinting position as is desired. Thus if it is intended to print sheetstwelve (12) inches wide, all but the last two (2) cylinders 8 arereceded, and then the distance rollers 10 are so adjusted by rods 10 inclamps 22 that the distance the paper is caused. to travel between thelast two operative cylinders 8 will constantly pitch the numbers printeda distance of twelve (12) inches apart on the web. By proper adjustmentof the several rollers 10 and the cylinders 8, any number of leaves amay be printed on the sheets Z) within the limits for which a particularmachine is desi ned. lVhen it is proposed to print numbers on both sidesof the web then I simply run it over a reversing roller 25, Fig. 1 andthen through a. machine the duplicate of that used to number the otherside. Any appropriate inking apparatus may be employed and I have showna composition distributor 26 to transfer ink to the printing heads.

It is manifest or possible that the construction herein specified may bevaried without departing from the principle of the intention, and Idesire it to be understood that the invention is not limited to anyspecitic form or arrangement of parts, except in so far as suchlimitations or their mechanical eouivalents are specified in the claimsHaving thus described my invention, what I claim and desire to secure byLetters Patent is- 1. In a numbering machine, the combina-' tion of arotary support having a series of adially disposed type bars hearing oddand even numbers, means having a differential motion with respect to thesupport for actuating the even numbered type-bars, and other similarmeans having a differential motion to actuate the odd numbered typebars,both of said means being turnable about a common axis.

2. In a numberin machine, the combination of a rotary support, a seriesof radially disposed staggered type bars movable radially in saidsupport, and a type bar actuator having a plurality of cams, eachadapted to successively project alternate number bearing type bars.

3. In a printing and numbering machine, a rotary carrier, a plurality ofmovable type having stems radially mounted in the carrier, and a rotaryactuator having a plurality of circumtercntially oiiset cams, said camsadapted to engage the inner ends of said stems, and each cam cooperativewith certain of the stems to eti'ect the successive projection of thetype thereon.

4. A type wheel having a series of radi-' ally projecting, normallyretracted type bars, a plurality of circumferential impression rollers,a cam concentric with the wheel,

means for giving the cam and wheel a diiferential movement in the samedirection, said cam adapted to act on a single type to project it intocontact with each successive impression cylinder during each cycle ofrevolution of the type wheel, whereby the same combination of numbersmay be printed a plurality of times on one complete revolution of thewheel.

5. A type wheel having a series of radially projecting, normallyretracted type bars, a plurality of circumferential impression rollers,a cam concentric with the wheel, means for giving the cam and wheel adifferential movement in the same direction, said cam adapted to act ona single type to pror ject it into contact with each successiveimpression cylinder during each cycle of revolution of the type wheel,whereby the same combination of numbers may be printed aplurality oftimes on one complete revolution of the wheel, said cam having aplurality of operative faces whereby said type are i alternatelyprojected.

Iii-testimony whereof I have hereunto set my hand in the presence of twosubscribing witnesses.

CLARENCE L. JOHNSTON.

\Vitnesses:

VILLARD V. VHITE, CHAS. N. CRAMIIN.

Copies 0! this patent may be obtained for five cents each, by addressingthe Commissioner of Patents, Washington, D. C.

